131 



a business, on business principles, and with the determina- 

 tion to produce the very best fruit in existence, in order to 

 establish a satisfactory market. 



The difference in freight rates from points in this State to 

 Boston, as compared with those from the west, is worthy of 

 a moment's consideration. If a Kansas fruit raiser, for ex- 

 ample, ships apples in carload lots to Boston for export, he 

 pays from 25 to 35 cents per hundred pounds to the Missis- 

 sippi River or to Chicago, and 30 or 35 cents more from 

 there to Boston, his total freight being 60 or 70 cents per 

 hundred pounds. The Massachusetts grower shipping in the 

 same way would pfly on the average S cents per hundred 

 pounds, — a saving of nearly seven-eighths of the total ship- 

 ping charges, as compared with the Kansas shipper. 



It is high time for the farmers of Massachusetts to throw 

 off the lethargy in which they have so long remained, and 

 prepare themselves to occupy markets properly theirs, and 

 which they can supply easier and better than can the resi- 

 dents of any other section of this country. 



A recent editorial writer in the " Youth's Companion " 

 has expressed his views upon this subject as follows : — 



The rapid development of the fruit-oT-owing industry in this re- 

 gion is due to the great fertility of the soil, the intelligence and 

 energy of the Avestern farmers, and the co-operative organizations of 

 growers. Poor fruit has been discouraged and almost eliminated. 

 Packing is in boxes, with every apple wrapped separately, and 

 warranted to be perfect. The number of apples which a box con- 

 tains is printed plainly on the outside, and there is absolutely no 

 " deaconing." 



These methods have enabled the western growers to realize a 

 profit on apples and pears of $100 to $1,000 an acre. . . . There is 

 no mystery about this remarkable development. It is due solely to 

 intelligence, enterprise and hard work, and is just as much within 

 reach of eastern gi'owers as it was in the grasp of their western 

 rivals. The lesson ought not to be lost upon eastern farmers who 

 wish to retain such of their fruit market as still remains to them. 



Even under present conditions, there are many persons 

 in the State ivho derive three-quarters of their entire income 

 from sales of their fruit. One such man, whose name would 



